As many of you are aware, MABRAKE campaigns for the protection of our lovely West Devon landscape. We fight against inappropriate developments like wind turbines, large solar panel arrays, over development, and tree protection amongst other things.

Some time ago, we became aware that the AGLV designation (Area of Great Landscape Value) for the Lyd and Lew valleys had been abandoned in 2009, leaving the triangle between the TVAONB, (World Heritage Site), Dartmoor National Park and the A30 to the north, with no landscape designation protection.

MABRAKE has campaigned to address this by requesting an “AONB Boundary Variation Order, under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.”

Our survey of some 14 local parishes affected received some 75% support, and in a recent public questionnaire by Milton Abbot Grouped Parish Council the AONB proposal elicited overwhelming public support.

Our local MP Geoffrey Cox QC is also wholeheartedly behind the proposal, and has done some magnificent groundwork with various local authorities, to move the idea forward.

Tamar Valley AONB will soon be publishing their next 5 year Development Plan which we expect to include a public consultation question on our AONB proposal.

Our proposal has also now been submitted to Natural England for consideration, but it will take a significant time for them to review it and to go through the process of consultation and approval.

The basic proposal is that Tamar Valley AONB expands its territory to include the Lifton/Sourton,Tavistock triangle. The exact borders have yet to be determined to the north. The East and West boundaries would join TVAONB and DNP.

We feel that this AONB designation will protect our lovely area from inappropriate development in the future.

Naturally there will be some extra levels of Planning Permission, but the benefits will be significant, especially for farmers who will potentially have a new source of grant aid.